It Was Only a Kiss
by MegannRosemary
Summary: Five times they kiss, and its nothing but a dream. And the one time its real, very real.


**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Person of Interest.**

***Small mention of suicidal thoughts.**

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><p><span>It Was Only a Kiss<span>

_- By MegannRosemary_

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><p>She was sitting on a park bench, the sun beating down on her shoulders, and the machine silent in her ear. She could hear the cars on the street just beyond the park and the pigeons cooing where tourists were feeding them their heavily salted pretzels.<p>

Root let herself relax, one muscle at a time, sighing as her shoulders escaped their ridged tension. In this moment, there was no danger, only sunlight...

And then Shaw appeared on her right, handing her a coffee and offering her a quick kiss.

Only sunlight and Shaw. They were one and the same in her mind.

"The Machine doesn't tell you when I'm coming anymore does she?" The smaller woman asked.

"No, She likes to give us some privacy."

"How very considerate of Her." Shaw smiled wryly. Moments later she grinned, tucking her finger beneath Root's chin to bring her closer, "Does this mean I can do this?

Their lips met and Root smiled into the kiss, "Yes, yes you can."

A second kiss, deeper than the first.

Then the bottom dropped out of her world and she found herself in bed. Alone.

"Shaw?" She called out.

But there was no answer.

She knew that, and still she padded around her apartment to check just in case.

With violent shivers she returned to bed. Alone.

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><p>She lounged comfortably in bed, tapping away on her computer, with the soft weight of the duvet on her thighs and the warm presence of Shaw at her side.<p>

Her girlfriend was reading one of those drugstore crime novels and sighing heavily every time she turned a page.

"What is it sweetie?" Root asked softly.

"I'm bored."

Root closed her laptop with a click and a smirk. "What did you have in mind?" She asked, kicking the duvet to the end of the bed.

Quickly and gracefully, Shaw positioned herself over Root, supporting herself on her forearms, her biceps flexing impressively.

She grinned down at her and Root was home.

Her knee slipped between her thighs and Root's breath caught in her throat, as she waited for the sweet contact she knew would come.

And it did. With the sweetness of a kiss.

She reached for the other woman to pull her closer.

And then she was grasping at air in the darkness.

Her blankets had fallen to the floor.

She was cold and alone.

She curled in on herself, clutching her elbows to stop the shuddering sobs that tore through her body.

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><p>"Are you the first one here?" Root asked, all the while giving a cursory look around the empty subway platform.<p>

Shaw leaned against the train car, "Yeah just me. Any Idea why Finch called us here?"

"Nope. " The taller woman stalked closer, leaning in for a surprisingly soft kiss.

"What was that for?"

Soft wasn't their norm.

"I don't know," She shrugged, smiling softly, "I just wanted to try it out. What do you think?

Shaw shrugged, nibbling on her lower lip to prevent the smile from blossoming, the smile Root knew was there.

"Come on now, don't pretend that you don't have feelings for me."

She shrugged again, the words coming out in a whisper, "I guess I liked it."

And their lips met in a soft kiss.

So soft that it faded away into the smothering weight of the darkness.

Root sat up, bringing her fingers to her chapped lips.

She was gone.

It had been months now since the elevator door closed on Shaw and still her dreams were plagued with might have beens.

They were so normal, they felt so real.

She flopped back on the bed, pulling the pillow over her face and forcing it down.

Hot smothering breaths slowed and came to stop. But then instinct won out and she clawed the pillow from her face, throwing it across the room.

It exploded on impact, feathers floating far to peacefully to the floor for the rage that burned within her.

She wished instinct hadn't stopped her, she wished to be stronger than petty human nature.

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><p>"Honey, I'm home." Root slipped gracefully through the front door, flipped the lock and put on the alarm. She stopped in her tracks, a smile spreading over her delicate features.<p>

Shaw sat on the couch in nothing but boy shorts and a tank top, cleaning a pile of weapons on the coffee table.

Root pulled her own two pistols from her belt and deposited them on the table with the others.

The smaller woman lit up at the prospect of handling Root's weapons.

But Root had different idea in mind, and dropped her coat to the floor before carefully straddling Shaw's hips.

She grinned up at the other woman, her dark eyes brimming with excitement. "You know Roo,t " She tucked the brown curls behind her ears, "You're a pretty special lady for me to ignore a table covered in such fine fire power."

"Aw now, don't get all mushy on me." Root wiggled and smiled happily.

"Shut up-" The smaller woman ground out against her lips.

Root pressed her hips forward, coaxing a moan from the other woman's lips.

Her knees and elbows hit the floor first as she fell from the bed with a muffled thump. The carpet fibres were itchy on her skin, a far cry from Shaw's soft skin and silky hair.

She clawed at her skin, tearing bright red welts from her fingernails, until the memory of her lover was eclipsed by the pain.

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><p>The two of them swept into the room, their guns firing seconds after they cleared the door.<p>

They stood back to back as they cleared the room, hitting kneecaps and shoulders, kicking guns out of the way.

They reloaded in the middle of the room, breathless and grinning.

"God you're so hot when you do that," Shaw mumbled, eyes flashing with fire.

In two steps they were in each other's arms, lips and tongue moving in a heated dance.

"Who are you people?" Came a voice from the floor.

And they laughed into the next kiss.

Root woke with a smile on her face.

A smile that quickly turned to hot angry tears, pouring down her face, dribbling into her ears and onto the pillow.

She pulsed with rage.

One kiss. One moment was all they'd had.

All she had now were the dreams, so sweet, so real.

But they were only dreams.

Six months of torture.

The worst she'd ever experienced.

No amount of gunshots, knife wounds, stapedectomies.

They were nothing compared to this.

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><p>She felt the feathery touch of her lips on her own.<p>

She squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to stay in the dream.

But its slipping away in the silky darkness.

She could feel a weight on her hips and hot breath on her cheek.

Shit.

She wasn't alone.

She rolled, flipping her attacker, using one arm to press against a fragile throat and the other to force them down by the shoulder.

"Root. Root."

That voice.

She relaxed as warmth spread through her body. "Shaw?"

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see the faint outline of her face, her teeth flashing white in a wide smile.

Shaw.

Not dead.

Here.

Somehow after nearly a year, she was here. "I can't believe you!" Root screamed, her harsh words scraping her throat raw.

She punched her shoulder.

Once. Twice. Three times.

"I thought you were dead. I thought you were dead..." She pummeled her shoulder, her arms, her stomach. "Why did you do that to me? I hate you so much." Tears streamed down her face as her movements slowed. "I hate you so much."

Shaw took the punches silently.

She let Root cry herself out before pulling her into her embrace with a tenderness that surprised them both.

Root continued to cry into her neck and Shaw awkwardly patted her on the back, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... That's...that's the way it had to be. I was the only way. "

"I'll never forgive you," She whispered before pressing her lips to her neck in a wet open mouthed kiss.

She trailed a couple more alone her jaw line.

One to her chin.

Both cheeks.

She placed a soft kiss at the corner of her eyes, to her surprise, finding them salty with tears.

"I'm so sorry," Shaw whispered with a strangled cry. "I missed you so much..."

Roots hands tangled in the other woman's thick dark hair and their lips met with a fevered crash. Their teeth clacked together in their hurry, before they found their rhythm and took the kiss deeper.

With Shaw's hips still pinned, Root's hands moved to Shaw's waist, then quickly slipped beneath her shirt and came to cup her breasts. Her thumb brushed softly, slowly, over her already pert nipples.

Shaw moaned, and she reached for Roots hips, instinctively holding her closer as she moved above her.

"Please."

A single syllable. A single plea.

For the moment they'd been craving for years.

Root gave her her everything. With slow, languid touches, her delicate fingers brought her over the edge.

Shaw arched off the bed, a raspy cry escaping her full lips, and with tender touches she rode the rolling waves of pleasure back down to earth.

The lanky brunette pressed a soft kiss over the other woman's rapidly beating heart. "You're alive." Root whispered in awe.

"I am." Shaw chuckled. "In fact I feel more alive that I've felt in a long time."

"Good," Root grinned smugly, collapsing beside her.

"Do you think that one day...one day you could forgive me?" Her words quivered with vulnerability.

Root's eyes brimmed with tears even as a smile was quick to fall on pale pink lips. " I would say that maybe you could show me just how sorry you are," She teased with a roll of her hips.

"I'm serious...I ..."

Root sighed, "I was so alone and it hurt so bad...but I trust you Shaw, above all else, I trust you. If that's what you needed to do to stay safe, then I trust you."

"Thank you," She rasped through her own tears, "Thank you."

"Thank you for coming back," Root sniffled.

And then they were laughing, and rolling on the bed in a tight embrace.

"Look at us, were pathetic."

"We let our emotions get the best of us."

"We will never speak of this again," Shaw shook her head.

"Deal," Root wiggled, "Now how about some a little encouragement on the forgiveness front."

"I thought you said..."

"Damnit I forgive you, now touch me before I explode!"

The smaller woman grinned. She didn't need to be asked twice, for she was already slipping cold hands beneath her camisole, her first touches bringing a gasp from Root's lips.

Their bodies came together in an easy rhythm.

And their lips met as if in a dream.


End file.
